Scotland celebrates 100th Eco-Congregation Award

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St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Clarkston is set to become Scotland's 100th Eco-Congregation Award recipient.

The church will receive its award during an ecumenical celebration today.

Local school children and church members will take part in the celebration.

Around 280 churches have registered as eco-congregations across Scotland. Awards are given to congregations that have demonstrated their long-term commitment to promoting sustainability and witnessing to creation care.

The awards are run by Eco-Congregation Scotland, a charity set up to encourage and equip churches to integrate environmental issues into their life and mission in an enjoyable and stimulating way.

Prayers and reflections will be led by parish priest, the Reverend Jim Duggan, and Eco-Congregation Scotland Chair, the Reverend Ewan Aitken.

Reverend Aitken will say: “It is my great pleasure to welcome St Joseph’s parish into the growing family of award-winning eco-congregations and I would like to thank them for helping us to achieve the milestone of 100 awards presented in Scotland.

“The eco-congregation movement believes that the care of creation is the biggest moral issue we face today.

"Our task, in small ways and big, is to live lightly on God’s earth so our children’s children may simply have a planet upon which to live.

“We hope it will not be long before we are celebrating our 200th award but beyond that, that we get to the time when we no longer need awards because the change we are working for has come into being.”

The celebration will also be joined by Philippa Bonella, of Catholic development agency SCIAF, which is promoting the initiative in Catholic parishes in Scotland.

To find out how your church can become an eco-congregation, visit www.ecocongregationscotland.org